Jessye Norman - A Portrait - Widmung (Schumann)

[aquilarco]

THE BEST. the best voice, the best presence, the best artist. THE BEST ALL. :D I love her.

[zackota63]

dumm, ueberzogen wie alle die Schubert Lieder ingen. Es nerft, auserdem sind die gesangsmelodien immer die selben. Ihre Stimme ist viel zu powerful ein Liebeslied.

[boombox889]

the emotion pouring out of this woman is simply gorgeous. and so is her voice.

[eeli1]

Oh helloooooo video I haven't watched in three years. I'd forgotten all about you and your hilarious depictions of jellyfish set to Widmung. ^_^

[fabiola93185]

realmente me encanta la potencia de su voz!!

[OperaClaassicCouture]

Now This is Magic

[sam1322xx]

Why are there jelly fish? I love it so much, I just dont understand.

[paulostroff99]

TY texmex0303 for posting.

[jthameschoir08]

Wow she really gets the meaning of the words.

[copperleaves]

For those who have inquired about the jelly fish, it could be there because something's fishy. This is a lip-synch! A pretty good lip-synch but a lip-synch nonetheless. Jesse still shines like the brilliant star she is in spite of it. She is positively heroic in this thrilling interpretation of Widmung. While I love this version, I also really like some of the gentler more pensive renditions from singers like Elly Ameling and Hermann Prey.

[jthameschoir08]

@copperleaves ??? what? It looks pretty real to me. And who cares if it isn't?

[copperleaves]

@jthameschoir08

It is a lip-synch. Does that matter? Not at all. The woman is magnificent!

[panajody]

@jthameschoir08

Jessye Norman ALWAYS gets the words, no matter what language she is singing, no matter what the music. Her extraordinary diction in French, German, and Italian has no equal.

[iBabyXD]

i am listening to this song again n again n again!!! LOL. learning some of her techniques so that i can do better in my vocal exam :)

[preruminator]

Better just l i s t e n !

[scarj0410]

She's so amazing I can't stand it.

But her faces are terrifying at moments during this song.

[PitTrout]

Argh — beautiful performance, but then the video just cuts off the last five measures of the song! Why!?

[LBKOO]

Wow. Great voice but just looking at her neck makes me tense up.

[27Countess]

Fabulous, I wonder what the Jelly fish are for. haha, Opera gets more interesting everyday.

[paulostroff99]

Lovely singing.TY texmex0303 for posting.

[Stuckenmacht]

The jellyfish symbolize the message of the song. Nothing says I adore you like a bouquet of jellyfish! It's a strong scent and so long-lasting.

[breenabree93]

Wow, she's just incredible! :D

I'd like to meet her someday!

[beeva17]

I'm guessing 7 people can't sing! Or there finger accidently clicked dislike.

[moghedien13]

i kinda liek the tousled look on her. but couldnt they have given her a better background?

[semele89]

It is just perfect! her interpretion is one of the best, of course she seams to scream it, but sometime you have the temper to scream that you are in love

[ilwmb]

its a love song, why is she screaming so much in the beginning??? i would never play like this it on the piano. but i think the rest is very nicely sung and well interpreted...

[pianomags]

@ilwmb my guess is because she's a big dramatic soprano, and she can't help, or doesn't believe it needs (or deserves) a more sensitive reading. harsh? No. I think opera and Lieder specialists are miles apart and prefer it when they stick to what they know best imvho

[JMUHockeyGirl]

She's really singing that? :::GAWKS:::

[lovesGenet]

Wish someone would tell me what the words were.First adored this song wneh I heard VanCliburn do Liszt piano arr. But here it is as originally written- now if i can only find what it is about.

[CharlotteinWeimar]

@lovesGenet You my soul, you my heart, You my bliss, o you my pain, You the world in which I live; You my heaven, in which I float, O you my grave, into which I eternally cast my grief. You are the rest, you are the peace, You are the heaven upon me bestowed. That you love me makes me worthy of you; your gaze transfigures me; you raise me lovingly above myself, my good spirit, my better self from Answers.com

[xXxmagdixXx]

im trying to do a free translation...don't take the grammar too serious: You my soul, you my heart you my blissfulness, you my pain you my world, that I live in My heaven you, that I float in O you my grave that i took down my everlasting sorrow. You are the silence, you are the peace you are given me from heaven. That you love me, makes me worth myself your glance makes me transfigure myself You lift yourself loving over myself my good spirit, my better me.

[ocakavanie]

Toto je sila! Tolko obtimizumov pri speve som este nevidela :)))))

[raigekimaru]

I think Jessye Norman is a dramatic mezzo. she does a good job with soprano rep, but that rich, milky timbre is undeniably mezzo.

[LaMagnifica13]

Her sheer enjoyment is fabulous, especially after she's finished singing. Her interpretation is really spot on. I hate the semaphore and gurning however.

[Verityseo]

very "erotic" jellyfish graphic..is that why it's in the background to portray Schumann's burning love for clara? otherwise, it's ridiculous!!

[taokiomi93]

I love this. My teacher sent it to me to learn this song for my Grade 9 Conservatory. Simply sensational.

[AleksandraPlamenac]

I was twice at her concert

I adore her!

[naicromance]

perfect

[acat89]

lololololol my teacher showed me this and he was trying to imitate her.

She is absolutely wonderful :)

[vampierkill]

Beautiful! Beautiful!

[asx5252]

this rendition is simply incomparable

[charnier4]

her voice is near to strong , but voice type is not good for me and ears well.

[Rinnow2]

@charnier4 exactly. amazing voice. wrong song in my opinion. this piece is best sung a little bit more softly

[leprincedesfees]

usually they record the audio first so it's really clean, then they get the footage.

[demosj]

First time I've heard the operatic original... Interesting counterpart to the Liszt transcription I'm more familiar with.

[DerLiedmeister]

A simply sublime interpretation. Masterful!

But what's with the jellyfish?

[117mathieu]

@DerLiedmeister

[goldie1102]

@DerLiedmeister BAH BAH whats with the jellyfish LOL your funny!!!

[peterlunow]

@DerLiedmeister who ever thought of that aquatic bullshit should be shot....dont you agree:-)?

[neelsdp1]

Fantastic voice and expression.

[wildanimalsrforme]

I think this wins the Widmung war on youtube

[machinegunvibrato]

agreed, but this seem pre-recorded.

[Chrissie19242]

@wildanimalsrforme I fully agree on this. Magnificent. I prefer Jessye far above Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Great singer OK, but her Widmung sounds harsh compared to this goddess.

Strange, the jellyfish in the backround.

[NoodleRama]

I love the facial expressions, she's so into it. The Jellyfish make me thing "what the..?" But it's kinda funny.

[Cantabilex33]

That was amazing! The jellyfishes floating in the background and your beautiful voice combined sends chills down my wretched spine. What a beautiful video!

[1981Theodora]

Great voice,great performance..

[Julianabischoff]

Ela é maravilhosa!!!!!!!!!!

[DannyDoc1981]

sie kann gut deutsch, sie wird den text schon verstanden haben :-)

[3cplantin]

Seit vielen Jahren spricht und saengt sie fliessend Deutsch (und Franzoesich). Es ist aber ihr Englisch, dass etwas.... manieriert klingt.

[saagua1953]

If one can ignore the weird ectoplasms floating in the background, the rest is perfection. Perfect German, since she began her career singing in German opera houses. Marvelous in all respects.

[piratzrule]

weird ectoplasms, lol :) this whole video "Jessye Norman - A Portrait", each song has weird things going round her in the back round.

[lokman168]

wonderful voice

[geschwitz4]

I'm wondering about this whole lip-syncing music-video thing she's doing -- it's like she's dancing to her old records. I guess she's still so psyched that she is so much thinner than she was when she recorded them... this wig does look like she's channeling "famous black singers in history" and she just got to 1969.

[muscleboi4use]

@geschwitz4 Oh that really did make me LOL! Can't wait for the '70s Diana Ross wig! I adore Jessye!

[zaxddarkshadow]

What's up with the background? It looks like somebody was stoned when they came up with that one.

[Buzaglod]

She is absolutely out of this world!

[TrevorDaniels]

She looks great by the way!! Has anyone seen any of the recent pics? She is so small now...it does make her look a bit older than her actual age, which is 63

[TrevorDaniels]

Actually I think that is her real hair...I have never known her to wear a wig, except for when she is in costume.

[johnhowell1]

who cares

[TrevorDaniels]

First off, I was commenting on existing dialogue. Secondly, grow up!

[pastafantastica]

I really adore Jessey Norman - she has a very, very fine spirit and is one of the great vocal artists of our time; every time I listen to her my heart starts to glow and is filled by the warmth of her voice and personality. Thank you Jessey , LOVE YOU VERY MUCH

[mnugent3]

Good voice and artistry and interpretation. Facial reactions to me seem a bit over done, also watch all the strain in the neck.

[Verified1]

Beautiful song. Distracting light show.

[pankyfranky]

ooh i love her pronounciation. sounds like

"mein bAssrAs ich". XD ...perhaps... this might be just funny ..for those who are ... native speaker. ^.^"

[Babs22h]

not one of her better wings in this series ..this one inparticular is kinda grandma ish!

[meriomeri]

This is so beautiful and trippy! Love it!

[catilyndevone]

i have to sing this for UDEA and listening to this is super helpful. I love Ms Norman!

[rockstarlet86]

I don't get why there are jellyfish...

[sopera123]

she makes it seem so difficult to sing this piece by overworking everything. either way: beautiful, great german.

[Ngelic]

thank you texmex0303 for this recording... i am suppose to be doing this song for a recital... this has to be the most perfect recording i have ever heard... Jessye Norman is the best!!

[mariasarda]

La crème de la Voix, le phrasé, les inflexions magiques... BRAVISSIMA !!!!!

[FerozaLaBonne]

The most deeply felt performance, replete with rich ringing tones. I will never forget Jessye Norman's spellbinding Carnegie Hall recital I attended in 2000 .

[tartanbirdie]

What a perfect performance of this piece.

[doodlydoo23]

when i think of widmung, a jellyfish is the first thing that comes to mind. dedication = cnidaria.

[eeli1]

Friggin' Hilarious! :)

[goldnertrille]

Isn't it? I love the jellyfish! ???

[lpete213]

i love this, but the jellyfish is a bit awkward...

[sillyface731]

i'd just like to comment on the jellyfish background..

otherwise, jessye norman is beautiful.

[vampierkill]

Du meine Seele, du mein Herz, Du meine Wonn', o du mein Schmerz, Du meine Welt, in der ich lebe, Mein Himmel du, darein ich schwebe, O du mein Grab, in das hinab Ich ewig meinen Kummer gab. Du bist die Ruh, du bist der Frieden, Du bist vom Himmel mir beschieden. Daß du mich liebst, macht mich mir wert, Dein Blick hat mich vor mir verklärt, Du hebst mich liebend über mich, Mein guter Geist, mein beßres Ich!

[ellerveira]

Divine interpretation. Her facial movements are simply the result of her extreme efforts to shape the tone perfectly. She does the same when singing Wagner operas. What comes out of the throat is what counts, not the facial expression.

[ellerveira]

Supremely beautiful, the music, the voice, and the performance.

[Babs22h]

i love these cute different wigs shes got on...its like madonna.... a new look every scene... except well she is talented in ways madonna is not

[agabusdawatchman]

I LOVE THIS!

[jarvy327]

I love jessye!!! when i grow up i wanna be here LOL!!!! i love this for the mezzo voice and tenor...

[elizabu]

also...

jellyfish?

wtf?

[elizabu]

Does she sing Wagner?

'Cause she should. Her voice is big for this lieder.. lovely, though she looks like she's in pain occasionally. Don't really know what's going on with her neck.

Great if you don't look at her :)

[FlyingElephant20]

Yes, she also sings Wagner. Her light voice is also great in 'Dove Sono'

She doesn't look like she's in pain to me. I prefer an expressive face which is not exactly 'too much'

i only dislike Sarah Brightman's facial expression in Lascia Ch'io Pianga. It's one of my favorite songs which i like her singing very much in that one, but she looks like she's on botox when she sang that song.

[TheAleph74]

You are new to opera, right? I can tell if you don't know about THE GREAT Jessye Norman.

[sumalumajumjum]

Her diction needs work. I think she works to hard to have this big heavy voice. And i'm not sure about this silly conducting thing she is doing.

[TheAleph74]

Who are you to criticize the GREAT Jessye Norman?? How dare you? oh my God...

[MzShugr]

then make us a video with you doing it better. it is easy to point out what you think is wrong. Grab a piece of cyberspace and show us what you got.

[mylittlepony34]

A true diva! if i could add a new word to the dictionary, it would be DIVAest!

[lionelpower]

Simply amazing

[flugelmaniac]

no one to match her

[cashmerequeen]

One would like to kneel down before this majestic, beautiful woman.